The Line Big Idea of the Series: This three-week Christmas series examines how Christ's birth changed the entire course of history. We even separate history according to Jesus’ birth (B.C. to A.D.)! Using passages from scripture that don’t normally fill an Advent calendar, “The Line” is both creative and unique. Jesus changed the world by entering history as the God-man, and He can change our lives as well. Week 1 Topic: Sin, Sacrifice Text: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Big Idea: Before Christ came into the world, we were captives to sin and deserved God’s punishment. Now that Jesus has come, and paid the price for our sin, we can be free from our guilt and know God personally. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   “Christmas cut history into two ages: the age of promise and the age of fulfillment. So when Peter says in Acts 3:24, ‘All the prophets…proclaimed these days,’ we see that he means ‘these last days’ (Heb. 1:2), in which God has spoken to us in his Son, the days from the first Christmas to the time of consummation yet to come. This is where we live. The already of fulfillment is massive—incarnation, crucifixion, atonement, propitiation, resurrection, ascension, heavenly reign, intercession, outpouring of the Holy Spirit, global missions, ingather of the nations, church, New Testament Scriptures, prayer in Jesus’ name, joy unspeakable, and purchased certainty,” (John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent, 51).

2.   Jesus “made intercession” for us (53:12), meaning He stepped in between God and us and intercepted the punishment for sin that was meant for us.

Show a clip of a famous interception in football history to illustrate this point.

3.   This passage in Isaiah emphasizes Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God, likened to the lamb whose blood was “sprinkled” (52:15; 53:5-7) on the Old Testament altar to take away sin. Consider taking communion as a congregation this week emphasizing Jesus’ human body that was broken and His blood that heals us.

4.   “You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]…The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done],” (1 John 3:5, 8, AMP). This passage tells us Jesus came into the world that first Christmas in order to destroy the works of the devil, that is, the one who brought sin into the world, through His sinless life by absolving the effects of sin for all who would believe in Him.

5.   Does this Christmas message make you excited? As excited as this boy getting a Nintendo 64? Video Source: https://youtu.be/pFlcqWQVVuU

Week 2 Topic: Worth, Redemption Text: Luke 2:22-38 Big Idea: In an ancient world where a person’s worth was based on their family wealth or political station, Jesus changed the entire course of history by coming for all people—equally. The value of a person is now based on the price that God paid for their redemption: the blood of God’s very Son. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   This passage goes well with Luke's commitment to showing how Jesus came for all people. Here, two older adults who didn't hold much stature or influence had the privilege of seeing the Christ for themselves and prophesying over Him. Simeon’s declaration even says that Jesus is for "all peoples" and "a light for revelation to the Gentiles."

2.   “Here’s why the doctrine of Christmas is unique. On one hand, you’ve got religions that say God is so immanent in all things that incarnation is normal. If you’re a Buddhist or Hindu, God is immanent in everything. On the other hand, religions like Islam and Judaism say God is so transcendent over all things that incarnation is impossible. But Christianity is unique. It doesn’t say incarnation is normal, but it doesn’t say it’s impossible. It says God is so immanent that it is possible, but He is so transcendent that the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is a history-altering, life-transforming, paradigm-shattering event. Christmas is not just frankly doctrinal; it’s also boldly historical. The manger, the resurrection, the story of Jesus is not just a story. It’s true.” (Tim Keller,

“Why Christmas Matters,” 10 Dec 2011, Relevant Magazine, accessed 19 Oct 2016, <http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worldview/why-christmas-matters-0>).

3.   Children were often considered sub-human (without worth and without rights) in ancient cultures because they could not contribute financially to the community. Jesus turned this notion upside down when He made childlike faith a necessary requirement for entering the Kingdom (Luke 18:17) and called the children to come to Him (Luke 18:6), deeming them not only human but of great value. Other people in the Gospels whom Jesus deemed as worthy were the woman at the well (known for her relational messes), the woman who washed His feet with her hair (known for her sexual history), and the shepherds who first heard the news of His birth (having a reputation for being untrustworthy). His blood makes all of us worthy and gives all of us value as children of God in spite of what our history would credit us.

4.   In your service this week, have a child read (practicing beforehand) this excerpt from the Jesus Storybook Bible: “Suddenly the star they had seen in the East started moving again, showing them the way. So the three Wise Men followed the star out of the big city, along the road, into the little town of Bethlehem. They followed the star through the streets of Bethlehem, out of the nice part of town, through the not-so-nice part of town, into the really-not-so-nice part of town, down a little dirt track, until it stopped right over . . . a little house. But wait. It wasn’t a palace. And there weren’t any guards. Or servants. Or flags. Or red carpets. Or trumpets. Or anything. Did they get it wrong? Or was this what God meant? Sure enough, in that little house—there, sitting on his mother’s knee—they found him. The baby King. The three men knelt before the little King. They took off their rich royal turbans and gleaming, golden crowns. They bowed their noble heads to the ground and gave him their sparkling treasures. The journey that had begun so many centuries before had led three Wise Men here. To a little town. To a little house. To a little child. To the King God had promised David all those years before. But this child was a new kind of King. Though he was the Prince of Heaven, he had become poor. Though he was the Mighty God, he had become a helpless baby. This King hadn’t come to be the boss. He had come to be a servant,” (Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible, 196-198).

5.   The Christmas Hymn, “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly,” is a perfect fit for this week’s service because of its emphasis on Jesus’ making Himself nothing in order to save the lowliest of us and its declaration that “Christ the babe is Lord of all.”

Week 3 Topic: Salvation, Transformation Text: Luke 4:16-30 Big Idea: The breaking between B.C. and A.D. wasn't just about a birth so we could have a new holiday; it was about a new way of life. We should not have a "Christmas faith,” but a transformed life that shows Jesus’ Lordship every day of the year. Sermon Ideas and Talking Points:

1.   A “watershed moment” is a defining moment, one that marks a drastic change in the course of someone’s life. This metaphor is based on a physical watershed, a ridge-like land formation that divides water runoff to go one direction or another. Here’s a helpful diagram of a watershed. Our life in Christ should be marked by a watershed moment, a division in the direction of our lives or hearts based on a personal conviction of sin and the Lordship of Jesus. History is divided into B.C. and A.D., and each life of a believer should be marked into B.C. and A.D. as well! God can change our history and our future when we become followers of Christ.

2.   Some people in churches today are playing religion, but have no real transformational experience of being born again. According  to  this  Christianity  Today  article,  15%  of  adults  in  Evangelical  churches  don’t  even  identify  themselves  as  born-­again,  with  startling  statistics  broken  down  by  denomination:  http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/may/pew-­evangelicals-­stay-­strong-­us-­religious-­landscape-­study.html.

3.   Often, we don't have a problem imagining Jesus as a sweet, small baby. The Christmas-only baby Jesus is easy to admire one day a year. It's the grown-up Jesus who calls us to lay down our lives and follow Him whom many have trouble accepting. This tongue-in-cheek (edited) clip from Talladega Nights illustrates the tendency we might have to turn our idea of Jesus into a false one we are most comfortable with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQmz5699DPQ.

4.   Have someone share their testimony you have them prepare beforehand with an emphasis on the difference in their lives before and after Jesus.

5.   Give an invitation for those who need to respond to the reality of the Gospel. Consider using this quote in your invitation: “Open your heart to receive the best present imaginable: Jesus giving himself to die for you and to serve you all the rest of eternity. Receive this. Turn away from self-help and sin. Become like little children. Trust him. Trust him. Trust him with your life,” (John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent, 24).